KQED's The California Report

Jewish Lawmakers Call Out Offensive Messaging in Newsom Recall AttemptAs an effort to recall Governor Gavin Newsom looks increasingly likely to reach the ballot, Newsom supporters are saying the campaign is driven by fringe groups. And Jewish members of the state legislature are calling out what they see as anti-Semitic. messaging in the effort. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED How Religious Leaders Can Be Powerful Allies in Vaccination Effort As public health authorities try to convince people who are vaccination reluctant to get a shot powerful allies in that effort could be religious leaders who can use their authority to assure people about vaccine effectiveness and safety. Guest: Robert McElroy, Catholic Bishop of San Diego and Imperial Counties The Pandemic May Have Changed Nursing Homes PermanentlyCases of COVID in California nursing homes are down 98% since the winter surge. But after a year of outbreaks, life inside these facilities has changed. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED An Evangelical Church Looks to Buy Historic Theater in FresnoThe theater is a 1930s art deco venue that typically hosts concerts, and a gay pride film festival. But now the Tower Theater will likely have a new owner, Adventure Church, by the end of March. Reporter: Soreath Hok, Valley Public Radio  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s been a surge of unaccompanied minors arriving at the U.S./ Mexico border seeking asylum. That's led to questions about where to safely house these children and one Southern California city has agreed to help out.Reporter: Max Rivlin Nadler, KPBS Pacific Gas and Electric will be back in court Tuesday morning for a hearing that could determine the size of future wildfire safety power shutoffs. The hearing comes a day after Cal Fire announced the utility's infrastructure was responsible for igniting one of last year's large and deadly wildfires in Northern California. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQEDLast year was devastating when it comes to wildfires in California. The state is already preparing for what could be another tough year in 2021. Guest: Thom Porter, Chief of Cal FireThe state agency in charge of unemployment claims is dealing with more issues, as outages and glitches have made it difficult for people to certify their claims online. It's the latest in a series of difficulties the EDD has faced during the pandemic, as it looks to clear a huge backlog of claims.Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California ReportGovernor Gavin Newsom has promised to focus much of the state's vaccination efforts on communities hit hardest during the pandemic. That includes several areas of the Central Valley.Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As pandemic restrictions ease, California's public schools are starting to welcome students back to classrooms for in-person instruction. But many Californians are questioning why it didn't happen sooner.Guest: Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public InstructionAccording to a recent report, the rate of overdose deaths tied to synthetic opioids like fentanyl has risen by more than 500% over the last three years in California. The study's authors said overdose deaths have been on the rise in California since 2015.Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED In the debate over criminal justice policies and reforms, the desires of crime victims and survivors are often invoked. But as California rethinks many of the tough on crime laws that led to record incarceration, those survivors don’t always speak with one voice. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQEDAlong California’s coastline, there’s only one state beach where people are permitted to drive on the sand - Oceano Dunes in San Luis Obispo County. But the California Coastal Commission is banning off-roading there.Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Sacramento, business leaders are looking to police for increased security in the Little Saigon neighborhood, where 15% of businesses are personal care salons. Advocates are also upset at the police description of a possible motive for the shooter.Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadioA long time and well-loved member of the KQED family has died. Penny Nelson, who worked as a guest host for Forum and the California Report, passed away surrounded by her family in Portland Thursday morning.Reporter: Rachel Myrow, KQEDThe Farm Workforce Modernization Act would allow those who have worked in agriculture at least six months over the past two years to apply for a work permit and eventually be eligible for a green card. The American Dream and Promise Act would also lead to a path to citizenship.Reporter: Alex Hall, The California ReportSaturday marks the start of the Persian New Year - Nowruz. It's a holiday often shared with Americans, but that's been especially hard to do during the COVID-19 pandemic.Guests: Amir Razavi, Owner of Middle East Market in Berkeley, and Persis Karim, Chair of San Francisco State University's Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even before the mass shooting in Atlanta that left eight people dead, including six Asian women, there has been a rise in violence against the state's Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.Dr. Erica Pan discusses equity issues in the state's approach to vaccine distribution, and responds to reporting that Alameda County withheld coronavirus case data at Tesla's Fremont plant starting when Dr. Pan was the top public health official there.Guest: Dr. Erica Pan, State EpidemiologistThe Biden administration has said the U.S.-Mexico border is still closed to asylum seekers. Now migrants who were affected by the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy are wondering when they’ll get a chance to ask for protection in the U.S.Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supporters of a campaign to recall Governor Gavin Newsom said they've collected more than the almost 1.5 million signatures needed by Wednesday's deadline to qualify it for the ballot. Newsom is already mounting a campaign to fight the effort. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED California was already facing a nursing shortage before the pandemic, but the problem has gotten even worse with hospitals at capacity due to COVID-19. But nursing students have faced numerous obstacles as they try to enter the workforce.Reporter: Shehreen Karim, Student at Pierce College, CalMatters’ College Journalism Network  The family of a San Quentin inmate, who died from COVID-19, has sued California corrections officials over their response to the pandemic. 61-year-old Daniel Ruiz died in July after being transferred from a prison in Chino to San Quentin.Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQEDOver 1,000 farmworkers in Kern County have gotten their first round of vaccines. The United Farm Workers Foundation and partnering organizations have plans to vaccinate thousands more in the coming weeks. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public RadioAs stimulus checks start landing in mailboxes this week, you might be wondering how the federal government is paying for it all.  Guest: Ann Saphir, Reporter, Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The $2.6 billion dollar program is using federal funds to get relief into the hands of struggling renters and landlords. It’s unknown how much back rent is owed across the state, but estimates range from $400 million to nearly $2 billion.The Center for Black Student Success at Cal State Monterey Bay is fairly new, and while it's been forced to stick with virtual outreach during the pandemic, many students said it's been a valuable resource.  Reporter: Kayleen Carter, Sacramento State University, CalMatters’ College Journalism NetworkGovernor Gavin Newsom and other California Democrats have formally launched a campaign to fight the effort to recall him from office. This comes as the deadline approaches for organizers to turn in signatures in an effort to trigger a recall election. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California ReportCalifornia’s junior U.S Senator Alex Padilla tells KQED that the federal government faces challenges in housing the spiking number of unaccompanied migrant children crossing the border with Mexico. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED People with disabilities under the age of 65 are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine in California. But they do face some challenges before getting their first shot.Guest: Andy Imparato, Executive Director of Disability Rights California Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People under the age of 65 with underlying health conditions and disabilities are now eligible to be vaccinated. Migrant detainees held in California by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are also eligible to receive their first dose.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQEDThe pandemic has brought barriers for college students taking part in remote learning. But it also brought some benefits that might stick around once it's over. We're taking a closer look this week and issues that have impacted college students, part of our collaboration with CalMatters’ College Journalism Network. Reporter: Emma Hall, Sacramento State University, CalMatters’ College Journalism NetworkStarting Monday, museums, zoos, movie theaters, and gyms will be among the businesses allowed to reopen indoors in Los Angeles County, with limited capacity. It's part of a move across the state to get businesses open more quickly. Reporter: Caroline Champlin, KPCCThe Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force has launched a new hotline to help older, non-English speakers schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Project Abuelita has already helped hundreds of residents.Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public RadioIn October, bankrupt opioid giant Purdue Pharma settled with the U.S. Department of Justice over its role in helping start our nation’s opioid crisis. Now, it will lay out its plan to re-organize the company.Guest: Charlotte Bismuth, Author of the new book "Bad Medicine" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers argue the proposal would make it harder to study gun violence in the state. Much of the data they use in their research comes from the Department of Justice.Reporter: Katie Orr, KQEDNew numbers from L.A. County’s child welfare system show a significant rise in the number of children in the state’s care during 2020. But that doesn't necessarily mean more children were abused or neglected.Reporter: Deepa Fernandes, Fellow, Pacific Oaks College The federal government is reportedly looking for vacant facilities in California and elsewhere to house migrant children who’ve crossed the U.S./Mexico border recently without a parent or guardian. More than 9,000 crossed the border just last month, surpassing the space at available shelters. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED The report on the LAPD's response to protests following the killing of George Floyd was commissioned by the L.A. City Council. It found the department lacked the necessary training and there was minimal communication that led to a fragmented response to the protests.Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across California, student athletes are returning to training as public health officials give the green light for both outdoor and indoor sports. But there will be plenty of changes, and new safety guidelines in place.Guest: Rob Wigod, Commissioner of Athletics, CIF Southern SectionThe relief bill passed by Congress earmarks billions for California cities and counties. Some cities already have plans for what to use the money for, as they continue to struggle economically during the pandemic.Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBSAs schools in San Francisco prepare for a return to in-person instruction, San Francisco Unified Superintendent Vincent Matthews has announced he'll be retiring. He has not given a reason for why he's leaving.Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQEDThere’s a push to change how members of the San Francisco school board are selected. In fact, questions are being raised statewide, as schools have struggled to reopen during the pandemic.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQEDMillions more Californians will be eligible for vaccines beginning next week, including people with developmental disabilities. The state is also trying to make it easier for people in this group to have the necessary paperwork ready when they do get their shot.Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices